Apple Pie Bars

I cobbled together 2 recipes for these bars and we all just loved them.  Someone in our house doesnt like leftover bars and even he liked them the next day.  I think this is going to become a must make for Fall for us.

The crust and the crumble are the same so it's just one bowl and one medium saucepan. 

 

Apple Pie Bars

make 16 servings (but you know we're all eating 2!) 

Apple Filling: 

2 tablespoons (28g) unsalted butter 

6 cups (678g) apples, peeled and diced in 1/2" pieces (from about 6 to 8 medium apples)
2 tablespoons (28g) lemon juice
1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon (or less) nutmeg

small pinch allspice
3/4 cup (149g) granulated sugar

1 teaspoon cornstarch (maybe) 

 

Crust/Crumble: 

1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
3 cups (400 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup (8 ounces or 225 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 large egg

 

Heat your oven to 375°F (190°C). 

 

In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the spices and stir to combine.  

Add the apples and lemon juice to the skillet and stir to coat in the butter mixture. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the apples just begin to soften.  

Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the apples and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 10 minutes. Initially, the apples will release a lot of liquid; continue to cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Depending on your apples, you might need to add the cornstarch to thicken. Add it, if needed, and cook for another minute or two. Remove from the heat once the mixture has become just slightly sticky. (The apples will not be fully tender.) Allow the apple mixture to cool in the pan off the heat while you prepare the crust/crumble mixture.  

 

Press a piece of parchment paper across the bottom and up the sides of an 8x8 (or 9x9) pan to create a sling for easy removal. You can butter or spray the pan too.

 

While the apples cool,  in a large bowl, combine together  sugar, the flour, baking powder, and salt. Use a fork or pastry cutter to work the butter into the flour mixture until a rubbled texture forms, then stir in the egg. Dough will be crumbly. Pat half of the dough into the prepared pan.

 

Spread the slightly cooled apple mixture over the crust. Then crumble the other half over the top.  Bake for 35-45 till the top is slightly browned and the apples are bubbling a bit.  Allow the bars to cool completely before lifting the sling from the pan and slicing into squares.  Store at room temp. 

 

 

Sourdough wraps

 This is our current favorite for sandwich wraps.  It's a super easy dough to work with.  The recipe is from King Arthur.  I usually 1.5 the recipe or double it. It probably takes 30-45 mins to cook them.

 

Sourdough wraps

makes 8

2 cups (240g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter (57g)

1 cup (227g to 241g) sourdough starter, unfed/discard
4 to 6 tablespoons (57g to 86g) water, hot (about 110°F to 120°F) 

 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. 

Using your fingers or a pastry blender, butter into the flour mixture until no visible pieces remain.

Add the starter and 4 tablespoons (57g) hot water and stir briskly with a fork or dough whisk until a shaggy dough comes together. Gradually stir in up to 2 tablespoons of additional water if needed to bring the dough together. 

Working in the bowl or transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead briefly, just until the dough becomes cohesive. If the dough is very sticky, gradually work in a bit more flour, a dusting at a time.

Let rest for 90 minutes.  If you need more time, then put it in the fridge (overnight is fine too)

Preheat a cast iron pan or two to a medium heat.  On an oiled work surface, divide the dough into 8 pieces (about 75g each). Round the pieces into balls and flatten slightly. 

Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll the dough out to a 7" to 8" round on your oiled work surface. Cook the tortilla in the preheated pan for 60 to 80 seconds on each side, looking for light browning and bubbling.  

Stack to cool completely then store in fridge or freezer.  They do occasionally get stuck together in the freezer but you can pry them apart.

Brownie blondie swirl bars (best thing to bring to a potluck)

I couldnt find a recipe for these so I just combined two of my favorite recipe and wow, it was a big hit at a grad party.  I actually cant wait for the chance to make them again! You'll use 2 bowls and a small saucepan, but it's worth it.  We prefer ours without any additions but you could add in choc chips, toasted nuts, or chopped up candy bars leftover from Halloween.

Brownie Blondie Swirl Bars

makes a 9x13 pan!

Blondie batter: 

8 tablespoons (1 stick, 4 ounces or 115 grams) unsalted butter

1 cup (190 grams) light or dark brown sugar (or 175g sugar plus 15g molasses)

1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon flaky sea salt, or 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt

1 cup (130 grams) all-purpose flour

Oven on 350.

Using a small saucepan, toast the butter till fragrant and brown. Add sugar and transfer to a mixing bowl to cool (this is a good time to make the brownie batter).

Add egg, vanilla, and egg to cooled butter. Mix well. Add flour. Mix till just combined. Set aside. 

 

Brownie batter:

2 sticks unsalted butter, melted (you can sub in 1/2 c applesauce for 1 stick)

 

2 cups sugar

3⁄4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 

1⁄2 teaspoon salt 

 

3 large eggs 

1 1⁄2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

 

1 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour 

Melt the butter in a mixing bowl. Add sugar, cocoa, and salt. Mix well. Add eggs and vanilla. Add flour.

 

To Combine:

Butter/spray a 9 x 13 pan. Pour in the brownie mixture and smooth it to the edges. Dollop in the blondie mixture. Swirl in with a knife. Bake for 30-40 mins, till the edges pull away from the pan a bit.

 

 

 

Focaccia

 This is our new favorite focaccia bread.  It takes just under 3 hours from start to belly, with most of that time hands off.

Focaccia

makes a lot

500g bread flour

2 tsp salt

14g yeast

40ml olive oil

400ml lukewarm water (no hotter than 110)

 

olive oil for pans 

herbs, garlic, pesto, salt (we like warmed olive oil with garlic and herbes de provence and salt) 

Add everything to the stand mixer and mix on low for 5 mins. It's a sticky dough.

Generously oil two 8x8 tins. Place dough into the tins and press/stretch so it covers most of the base and the corners.  Cover with an oiled wrap and let rise for 40-60mins until doubled in size.

Heat oven to 460. 

Press any desired toppings into the dough with your fingertips. Cover with oiled wrap again and let rise for 30-60mins.

Drizzle with a little oil and bake for 15 mins until risen and golden.

 

Almond Pear Tart

 

This is a new favorite for us.  We had it for Easter brunch and Mother's Day brunch. It was perfect for both.

Almond Pear Tart

serves at least 8 

 

1 pie crust (we like Smitten's all butter flaky but store bought is ok too) 

 

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg
1 tsp almond extract
1 cup almond flour
2 Tbsp all purpose flour
2 medium pears, sliced thinly

 
2 Tbsp powdered sugar for dusting on top of the finished tart, optional

Preheat oven to 375F.  Roll out your tart dough into an 11 inch circle about 1/4 inch thick, and fit it into a  10-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Set the crust in the fridge or freezer while you make the filling. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or with electric beaters or even your food processor), cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the salt, egg, and almond extract and mix well to combine. Add the almond flour and the all purpose flour and mix until combined. Spread the almond mixture evenly into the bottom of your pie shell. Add the sliced pears on top of the almond filling, arranging them any way you like. Place tart pan on a cookie sheet (just in case). Bake for about 35 minutes. The filling should be puffed up and golden brown. Tent with foil if it's browning too quickly.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar.

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Maple Walnut Biscotti (a PopPop favorite)

My Dad loved biscotti.  When he was dying, medical professionals said that he could get angry as the tumor grew in his brain.  I can only recall 2 times when he was really upset and one time was over biscotti.  He really wanted us to make his favorite biscotti but we were too consumed with his care to make it.  A very kind friend made us a batch and he was thrilled.  I will always think of my dad when we have biscotti and also that kind friend.

This recipe comes to us from King Arthur.  I have made a few edits.  If you'd like to make some without walnuts, reduce the walnuts by half.  Toast them and leave them on the silpat. When you split the dough for shaping, put half the dough on a fresh clean silpat and put the other half directly on top of the walnuts.  I kind of smoosh the dough around to incorporate the walnuts.

Maple Walnut Biscotti (a PopPop favorite)
makes 20 biscotti

2 cups (227g) walnuts, coarsely chopped
2 large eggs
a little less than 1 cup (195g) granulated sugar
10-15g molasses (a good glug)
1/4 cup (78g) maple syrup
5 tablespoons (75g) butter, melted
2 1/2 cups (300g) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
maple syrup for brushing (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. 

Place the walnuts in a single layer on a silpat (or parchment paper) lined cookie sheet and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until light golden brown and fragrant. Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack.

In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs, sugar, molasses, and maple syrup. Add the melted butter and mix until smooth.

Stir in the baking powder, and salt until combined, then add flour and stir again, then add the nuts.

Divide the dough in half onto silpats/parchment paper and, using wet hands, shape each half into a rectangle about 12˝ long, 3˝ wide, and 1/2˝ thick. Optional, brush the tops with maple syrup.

Carefully transfer the baked logs to a cutting board and, using a serrated knife, cut the baked dough on a slight diagonal into 1/2˝-thick slices. Saw the knife back and forth instead of pressing down, to keep the cookies from crumbling.

Place the slices close together, standing upright on the baking sheet. Return to the oven and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until the sides begin to brown. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet on a rack.

Store airtight at room temperature; they'll stay good for weeks.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until light golden brown and firmly set. Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan for 10 to 15 minutes.

Anything Ricotta Scones

Thanks to the ricotta, the scone batter can be a little wetter than most scone batters.  We like to make some with blueberries and some with chocolate chips.

Anything Ricotta Scones

makes 9 (I usually double it)

(from Smitten)

1 cup (120 grams) whole wheat flour

1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder, preferably aluminum-free

1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon table salt

6 tablespoons (85 grams) cold unsalted butter

1 cup (136 grams or 4 3/4 ounces) frozen blueberries or fresh raspberries or choc chips

3/4 cup (189 grams) whole milk ricotta

1/3 cup (79 ml) milk

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. 

In a large bowl, whisk flours, baking powder, sugar and salt together.

With a pastry blender, add the butter and use the blender to cut the butter into the flour mixture until the biggest pieces are the size of small peas. 

Add the ricotta and milk together and stir them in to form a dough.  Split the dough into 2 if you'd like to make different flavors of scones.  Add in your fruit or choc chips.  Using your hands, gently knead dough.

Form the scones by hand or pat the dough in the bottom of the bowl and cut into portions.  Place on the silpats. (This is the time to freeze them if you're not baking right away)  Brush with milk or egg and sprinkle with raw sugar.

Bake for 15-19 minutes (the longer time is for frozen scones) till lightly golden at edges.  Cool slightly then eat (transfer the rest to a rack to cool).